New MWC Commish, Gloria Nevarez weighs in on MW expansion, realignment and her vision for league's future

[NT80]

The MW has largely fallen behind the AAC the last few years, although that conference losing Cincinnati, Houston and UCF to the Big 12 is a big blow. If the MW can stick together, it could re-ascend to the top of the Group of 5 conferences, which is one of Nevarez's goals.

But my end goal is — we have the late time zone issue being in the West — so we really need to break into that East Coast media market because that's where all the selection committees and talking heads are. The ranking services.

https://nevadasportsnet.com/news/reporters/gloria-nevarez-weighs-in-on-mw-expansion-realignment-and-her-vision-for-leagues-future

 

[Mike Jackson]

Good luck with that commissioner but they’re only 3 teams in the MWC that from a TV viewing aspect teams want to travel that far west to play; Air Force, San Diego State and Boise State.  And the appeal of Boise greatly diminishes if they have a couple of years outside the final top 15 in the AP poll.   If CUSA had held together (with a better commissioner with more games available on extended cable) I think the fans here would have seen a move to MWC as a lateral move. I don’t know the numbers but I believe any increase in revenue for our athletic department would be eaten up by increase travel cost.  If key members of the old WAC conference could have held firm together for a long term vision they would be in a great place right now.  Just look at some of the teams they could have had

San Diego State

Fresno State

Arizona

Arizona State

Utah 

Utah State

Boise State

Air Force 

Colorado State

BYU

TCU (or UTSA)

SMU

New Mexico

New Mexico State

UNLV

Nevada

[El Paso Eagle]

The PAC is willing to lower its standards to enter the central time zone. Does the MWC go after Buffalo or UConn? How would the eastern time zone school benefit from playing in the Mountain and Pacific zones? Do they try and pick off several teams from the MAC? A better question for the AAC; How does Mike A. react?

[UNTLifer]

1 hour ago, Mike Jackson said:

If key members of the old WAC conference could have held firm together for a long term vision they would be in a great place right now.

Room full of Commissioners:

One of them starts talking about "long-term" visions and the others:

[NT80]

Yes, "long-term visions" and "alliances" in regards to athletic Conferences are fool's gold.  Today's Conferences are totally money-driven and media-driven.  Little consideration is given to fit by geography (other than media market) or historical rivalry.  It's all about the $$. 

[ADLER]

Looks like the Mountain West may soon be adding Oregon State, Washington State, SMU, and getting SDSU back.

 

[GrayEagle]

The MWC is weakening by the day.  They're already losing San Diego State to the old Pac12 as it appears to be now.  It seems to me likely that the new Pac 12 picks off San Diego State, Boise State, and possibly UNLV to go with the remaining Pac 10 plus SMU to make a Pac 14.  If the ACC or Big 12 should pick off Air Force and Colorado State the MWC is up the creek without a paddle and the MWC, which once had great potential, becomes virtually CUSA 2.0.  Maybe Craig Thompson saw the writing on the wall and figured that this was the best time to retire.  

If the MWC loses San Diego State, Boise State, and UNLV to the Pac?  and Air Force and Colorado State to the AAC (I hope) then they are left with left with Fresno State, San Jose State, Nevada, Utah State, Wyoming, New Mexico and Hawaii.  They could add Montana, Montana State, Idaho, UTEP and New Mexico State but from there the pickings get thinner indeed.

The less teams can invest financially in a new conference, the more they have to stay close geographically.  Football and basketball might make it pay financially but the minor sports have to join another conference to save travel expenses.  We beginning to stretch to our limit of FBS teams.

Edited March 2, 2023 by GrayEagle

[Mike Jackson]

1 hour ago, UNTLifer said:

Room full of Commissioners:

One of them starts talking about "long-term" visions and the others:

😂😂😂😂.  You have to laugh not to be sad.   They are running college football like it’s a pure TV show not connected with schools or respect anything that makes it a great TV show.  It is essentially think you can make a great TV show with just 5-7 great actors that will run for 10 years.  No compelling script, guest actors, settings that set the tone, special effects, good director or cgi.  This “super league” talk is a prime example of that thinking.  I think the best example is the decline of boxing.  Boxing used to be far more relevant and popular just because we got to see boxers develop and establish their dominance on free TV or regular cable channels.  If these blue blood drunk idiots really want to how valuable their brands are in a vacuum put their mediocre blue blood against actually performing blue on PPV.   Most football fans aren’t going out of their way to watch 4 loss UT go to  Tuscaloosa to get curb stomped by Bama.  They will peak if they hear a live update that the Longhorns are making it close but they sue as hell aren’t signing up for the Amazon Prime sports package to peak at it if they don’t already have it.  And these casual bandwagon fans of big brands lauding “elites vs elites” league will be the first to check out when their team starts a season off bad. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Unfortunately we will have to wait a decade to issue a fruitless “I told you so”.  But by then the damage won’t be repairable.  Its market presence will be more like baseball is today.  Older diehards still invested following closely but sports media ignoring all by the top 10 players in the biggest markets. 

25 minutes ago, NT80 said:

Yes, "long-term visions" and "alliances" in regards to athletic Conferences are fool's gold.  Today's Conferences are totally money-driven and media-driven.  Little consideration is given to fit by geography (other than media market) or historical rivalry.  It's all about the $$. 

[southsideguy]

thinks they could be a p-5 conference , that will leave out the big p-3 conferences. I admire her forward thinking something the CUSA commissar lacked.

What was the pac12 tv before the new contract.  Wish he would said that.

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by southsideguy

[NT80]

50 minutes ago, southsideguy said:

thinks they could be a p-5 conference , that will leave out the big p-3 conferences. I admire her forward thinking something the CUSA commissar lacked.

What was the pac12 tv before the new contract.  Wish he would said that.

 

Currently, the cost for Pac-12 sports has with ESPN and Fox is $250 million annually over 12 years.

= $20.8 mil per school, per year.   

The guy in the video estimates the new Pac12 media deal worth about $25 mil per school.  Not sure what bringing SDSU and Smut would do to the numbers (probably reduce them).

The new Big12 media deal is for $31.6 mil per school.

 

[southsideguy]

Well it is not like a pay cut for them.  I dont think we get paid this year but is the AAC paying per school

[untphd]

22 hours ago, Mike Jackson said:

😂😂😂😂.  You have to laugh not to be sad.   They are running college football like it’s a pure TV show not connected with schools or respect anything that makes it a great TV show.  It is essentially think you can make a great TV show with just 5-7 great actors that will run for 10 years.  No compelling script, guest actors, settings that set the tone, special effects, good director or cgi.  This “super league” talk is a prime example of that thinking.  I think the best example is the decline of boxing.  Boxing used to be far more relevant and popular just because we got to see boxers develop and establish their dominance on free TV or regular cable channels.  If these blue blood drunk idiots really want to how valuable their brands are in a vacuum put their mediocre blue blood against actually performing blue on PPV.   Most football fans aren’t going out of their way to watch 4 loss UT go to  Tuscaloosa to get curb stomped by Bama.  They will peak if they hear a live update that the Longhorns are making it close but they sue as hell aren’t signing up for the Amazon Prime sports package to peak at it if they don’t already have it.  And these casual bandwagon fans of big brands lauding “elites vs elites” league will be the first to check out when their team starts a season off bad. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Unfortunately we will have to wait a decade to issue a fruitless “I told you so”.  But by then the damage won’t be repairable.  Its market presence will be more like baseball is today.  Older diehards still invested following closely but sports media ignoring all by the top 10 players in the biggest markets. 

This used to be on all of the time, but boxing is now gone compared to what use to be,

https://nepca.blog/2014/05/28/remembering-the-friday-night-fights/#:~:text=The last of the Friday,a fun and easy read.

[NT80]

5 hours ago, southsideguy said:

Well it is not like a pay cut for them.  I dont think we get paid this year but is the AAC paying per school

If you're Arizona State or Utah, etc and you are projected to make $25M with the new PAC media deal, but Iowa State and BYU will get $31M a year, do you feel slighted?  

Then the Big12 calls you to come join them at potentially more than $31M a year, what do you say?

Edited March 3, 2023 by NT80

[Hunter Green]

On 3/2/2023 at 10:46 AM, El Paso Eagle said:

The PAC is willing to lower its standards to enter the central time zone. Does the MWC go after Buffalo or UConn? How would the eastern time zone school benefit from playing in the Mountain and Pacific zones? Do they try and pick off several teams from the MAC? A better question for the AAC; How does Mike A. react?

In Mike I trust!

GO MEAN GREEN!

[Mike Jackson]

2 hours ago, untphd said:

This used to be on all of the time, but boxing is now gone compared to what use to be,

https://nepca.blog/2014/05/28/remembering-the-friday-night-fights/#:~:text=The last of the Friday,a fun and easy read.

Great reference story that shows the decline of boxing.  This boxer was way before my time but he sounds like a Boise State, a program that self serving greed will relegate to a FCS team exposure wise.   I am listen to the talking heads saying the NFL is the model.  Which is absolutely stupid because without the competitive balance of a draft and salary cap the product in half the league cities would suck.  Jalen Hurts would likely be backing up Mahomes on one of the league’s top 7 revenue generators instead of facing off in a great Super Bowl.  

[ColoradoEagle]

She’s in the unenviable position of being where the Sun Belt was years ago after losing schools to CUSA. Or most likely will be in the next few months. Maybe she turns it around, but I’d expect more of what happened with the WAC than with the SBC.

[Jonnyeagle]

56 minutes ago, ColoradoEagle said:

She’s in the unenviable position of being where the Sun Belt was years ago after losing schools to CUSA. Or most likely will be in the next few months. Maybe she turns it around, but I’d expect more of what happened with the WAC than with the SBC.

Spot on!  That conference is a mess.  Thank god we didn’t listen to some of the sheep on here and stuck with the AAC.

[NT80]

1 hour ago, ColoradoEagle said:

She’s in the unenviable position of being where the Sun Belt was years ago after losing schools to CUSA. Or most likely will be in the next few months. Maybe she turns it around, but I’d expect more of what happened with the WAC than with the SBC.

The MWC and the PAC both are trying to present faces of a "Secure Buyer" when in fact both will probably be losing schools soon and then become "Desperation Buyers".  PAC has already started by interviewing Smut.

[wardly]

Question. If the PAC 12 gets down to just Oregon St. and Washington St., and "merge" with the MWC, can they fly the flag as the "new" PAC 12 and maintain all existing automatic NCAA bids?